Yesterday we published a blog post on the topic of gender segregation in universities. It related to a recent report by Universities UK that recommended that gender segregation at public talks on campuses should in some circumstances be allowed (this guidance has since been withdrawn). The piece raised concerns about the motivation of the pressure group Student Rights, which has been campaigning on the topic, and the way in which the story had been picked up by the media, but argued that such concerns should not prevent people from criticising the policy.
Regrettably, our initial choice of headline gave the impression that the piece criticised the whole range of groups who have spoken out on the issue. This includes groups we respect and support, such as the Council of Ex-Muslims and Southall Black Sisters, and a range of other individuals. The protest directed at Universities UK that took place on 10 December was broad based and worthy of support. We’ve now altered the headline but would like to apologise for any misunderstanding.
For the record, New Humanist and rationalist.org.uk do not support gender segregation at public talks on campus, and believe we that the Universities UK policy was wrong. We share the view of our contributor Rory Fenton, who reported on the issue on 25 November:
“In advocating for enforced sex segregation [Universities UK] are cowardly, capitulating to religious extremists in a way they surely never would to political extremists. In bending to these extremists, universities betray the moderate majority in religious groups who do not wish to see segregation or, at least, would not want it to be forced on others. Men and women should sit where they wish. Universities have a duty to protect the rights of their students, they do not have a duty to protect their beliefs.”
The issue is a serious one, and we are committed to fostering a constructive debate on how people with differing political views can work together on this.
